Mexicans celebrate their country’s independence from Spain on September 15th. The MACC keeps that tradition alive with their “Viva Mexico” celebration next Saturday. Attendants will have a taste of food and folklore that surrounds mexican culture. The center is open year round and is dedicated to the preservation, creation, presentation and promotion of the cultural arts of Mexican Americans and Latino cultures.

We have been there many times and absolutely love it! We usually take a sort hike from or to the center which is conveniently located on the path of the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike trail right next to Rainey Street. When we arrive through the trail the first thing we see is the Tejano Music Legends sculpture. It depicts the Perez brothers playing the saxophone and the Ramos brothers engaged in song.

We also love the Caminos Legacy Murals. It was commissioned as a community arts mentorship project lead by J. Muzacs. Many teenage students in the Caminos program painted the mural. It depicts the vibrant community they live in as well as their perspective on the future of their own culture. The center is open from Monday to Friday from 10am-5:30pm and Saturdays from 10am-4pm unless there is an event. Other amazing activities to look forward to is their open invitation to create Dia de los Muertos altars. Check out their web page for more information. ​

Some kids love taking hikes, others not so much! There are reasons why we encourage our kids to walk but the main one is to keep them healthy. This is why we are proud that during the summer our kids walked on average 3.5 miles a day. Most of the days we walked that much to get to and from our bus stops, and while exploring during our adventures. If the weather was nice, we did a long nature walk on Fridays. ​

When you walk more oxygen flows to your brain. Promoting oxygen flow allows your brain to learn faster and to adapt to anything you set your mind to!When you walk you reach places that you wouldn’t be able to go to by car or other means.

When you walk your legs and feet may hurt, but it is usually because your muscles are getting stronger! Other reasons include: wearing your shoes backwards. Dragging your feet. When you walk you help the environment by skipping the pollution your car may generate.

So now you know why it is important, take a hike and you’ll find out why it is also so much fun! ​

Would you like to go to a goat ranch? How about a goat ranch turned zoo? The Austin Zoo started as a small farm with mostly domesticated animals. In 1990 it began rescuing wild animals until they became a non-profit sanctuary. Now they have over 300 animals in their 20 acre land.

The Bob Bullock museum is offering an amazing exhibition granted to give you a ride to the past. Pong to Pokémon brings us playable consoles from the Atari to recent game apps. Our kids loved to find Minecraft but were strangely enthralled by Sonic the Hedgehog. They were also amused by the different controls that each console offered. If you keep circling you will get to a room that was turned into an arcade. They heard Angry birds and Guitar hero in the background but kept trying to win the Space Invaders. Endless tries without spending a dime! If you don’t want to miss the opportunity to revive your youth, head to the museum before march 18th or check our next adventures!